We live in an age of convenience, consumerism, and immediate gratification. But the exponential changes happening in our society have an effect—more toxins are invading our lives than ever before.
On any given day, we are exposed to toxic chemicals that can enter our bodies through the food we eat, the water we drink, the air we breathe, and the products we encounter via our skin.
Most of these chemicals are man-made and didn’t exist before the Industrial Age, so we haven’t had an evolutionary chance to adapt. Our bodies simply cannot utilize these synthetic chemicals or purge them quickly enough before they accumulate and have the potential to wreak havoc on us.
We must take it upon ourselves to control our levels of exposure to harmful chemicals and toxins.
Every Step You Take Adds Up
When we make a conscious effort to lessen our exposure to chemicals and reduce the toxic contents of our body through detoxification, we can boost our immune system, balance our hormones, reduce inflammation, and lower our chances of autoimmune disorders and other illnesses.
It’s probably not advisable to wait until your body is full of toxic sludge, or until you’re sick and slowing down before making healthy changes. Start making these changes now. Choose to take an active role in your health so you don’t have to worry about the impact of chemical toxicity or side effects of prescription drugs down the road.
Choose prevention as your path moving forward.
It is best to proceed one step at a time when you’re walking the prevention walk. Trying to make multiple changes at once can cause you to lose focus and feel discouraged. Remind yourself that all your baby steps ultimately add up on the journey toward wellness. If you can’t decide which baby step to take first, then identify your biggest pain point as step one.
For example, if you have digestive issues, then it is a good idea to identify potential problems with your diet.
See your doctor for allergy, heavy metal, and nutritional deficiency testing. Eliminate processed food, GMOs, and foods that are on EWG’s dirty dozen list. Consider getting tested for candida and choosing a doctor-supervised detox program to decrease the accumulation of toxins in your body. Additionally, pay special attention to what your food is being cooked on and stored in.
Once you have taken the steps in one category, like food, then you can move on to addressing another category, such as your personal care and cleaning products, or having your water tested for contaminants.
The most important thing to remember is you don’t have to be perfect.
Building Your Toxin Awareness Allows You to Take Action
Implementing a lot of steps at once may not be practical, physically or financially. Just know every step you take to decrease the toxic level of your body is a step in the right direction.
Whenever you’re faced with buying a new shampoo, a new mattress, or a new frying pan, you now know to seek the information necessary to make the healthiest choice. Every time you need to purchase a new product, you have an opportunity to vote with your pocketbook by choosing a healthy product made without chemicals.
You’re ultimately sending a powerful message to manufacturers: we, the people, deserve better.
We have passively allowed industry to create a world filled with toxins, but we finally know enough to move together as a nation to promote a healthier environment.
We could say we’re evolving out of the age of convenience, through the age of information, which has informed us on these issues. And we’re now in a new age of awareness, proactivism and empowerment.
Be encouraged to join others in being a catalyst for positive change in all ways possible, from your choices at the grocery store, to recycling, to consumer activism. This is important because what we tolerate is what we receive, on a grand scale.
If we continue to tolerate the toxic pollution of our world, then that’s what we’ll continue to get. Exercise your activism muscle by signing petitions that help to reduce the toxins in our world.
You should commit to making a conscious decision to staying up to date on tips that make the world around you a better place. After all, prevention is the ultimate medicine for your long-term health.
Resources about harmful chemicals and toxins in our world will help you stay on the prevention path. I have a topical blog that will build your awareness to your surroundings, as well as recommended nontoxic products on my site, www.livinginthechemicalage.com.
Photo by Scott Rodgerson on Unsplash
